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Garlic Parmesan Mac And Cheese

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Our deliciously creamy Mac And Cheese is better than the regular, with an irresistible garlic parmesan cheese sauce and topped with golden, buttery parmesan fried bread crumbs!

Does homemade mac and cheese get any BETTER than this? I don’t think so. Switch up your favourite macaroni cheese recipe and make way for this glorious dish full of flavoured comfort food. I can guarantee THIS will become your new favourite.

Mac And Cheese is better than the original! A creamy garlic parmesan cheese sauce coats your macaroni, topped with parmesan fried bread crumbs, while saving some calories! | https://cafedelites.com

MAC AND CHEESE

Usually with any recipe, you can decide in a split second which element you like better. Well, let me tell you right now I’m so undecided and have absolutely no idea where to start. The thick and creamy sauce? The perfect, butter fried topping with extra crispy parmesan? Or the kick of garlic?

An easy, cheesy and creamy recipe, perfect for the holidays, potlucks or bbq’s, I guarantee your mac and cheese experience will forever be changed after you try this recipe. It ticks all the boxes!

  • Béchamel sauce ✔️
  • Abundance of pasta ✔️
  • Crispy topping
  • Loaded with cheese ✔️

Mac And Cheese is better than the original! A creamy garlic parmesan cheese sauce coats your macaroni, topped with parmesan fried bread crumbs, while saving some calories! | https://cafedelites.com

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE MAC AND CHEESE

This macaroni cheese recipe is so easy to make, I can break it down in five easy steps:

Boil and drain the pasta — elbow, macaroni, cellentani, or any pasta you like.
Fry a breadcrumbs/parmesan mixture — please use fresh grated parmesan if possible for the best flavour.
Make white sauce — a typical béchamel with a light change.
Add cheese — see below for more cheese options.
Top with a crispy breadcrumb mixture — the best part.

HOW DO YOU MAKE CHEESE SAUCE?

Making this recipe lower in calories for you, I didn’t want to skimp on the all important buttery flavour mac and cheese is known and loved for. So instead, I cut the butter and flour quantity in half for the white sauce.

Using a combination of cornstarch and milk to do the rest of the thickening for us, there is no sacrificing flavours in this recipe.

Cheese sauce béchamel | cafedelites.com

THE BEST CHEESE FOR MACARONI AND CHEESE

Not only is this made with the usual cheddar cheese found in most recipes; it has a GOOD kick of stringy mozzarella AND loaded with parmesan because, well, parmesan.

If you’re not a fan of those, you could also use:
Smoked Gouda
Fontina
Gruyere
Gorgonzola

Cheese sauce for Mac And Cheese |. cafedelites.com

OPTIONAL ADD INS FOR MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE

Bacon: Bacon is always an option.
Chicken: Seared or baked chicken (like our Tuscan Chicken Macaroni Cheese)
Jalapeños: Fresh or pickled jalapeños (like this Chili Mac Recipe)
Herbs: For even more flavour, try adding in Oregano, Basil, Thyme or Parsley — dried or fresh, to the béchamel sauce.

Mac And Cheese is better than the original! A creamy garlic parmesan cheese sauce coats your macaroni, topped with parmesan fried bread crumbs, while saving some calories! | https://cafedelites.com

MAC AND CHEESE AS A SIDE OR MAIN

Both, actually. Think of mains like:

Garlic Herb Butter Roast Chicken 
Pork Roast With Crackle
Crispy Skin Slow Cooker Turkey (& Homemade Gravy)
Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham Recipe

Or enjoy it as a main. You choose!

Mac And Cheese is better than the original! A creamy garlic parmesan cheese sauce coats your macaroni, topped with parmesan fried bread crumbs, while saving some calories! | https://cafedelites.com

The ultimate Mac and Cheese Recipe with an incredible full-flavoured cheese sauce and topped with an irresistible crispy, golden, buttery topping.

Mac And Cheese ON VIDEO!

Need more sides? Try these!

Browned Butter Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
Creamy Garlic Parmesan Brussels Sprouts & Bacon
Honey Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots

Love to stick to the classics? Try these!

Meatloaf
Pot Roast
Lasagna

Garlic Parmesan Mac And Cheese is better than the original! A creamy garlic parmesan cheese sauce coats your macaroni, topped with parmesan fried bread crumbs, while saving some calories! | https://cafedelites.com

Garlic Parmesan Mac And Cheese

Mac And Cheese made better than regular with a garlic parmesan cream sauce, topped with crispy fried parmesan! All in one pan!
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 10 serves (just over 1 cup per serve)

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (500 grams) dry weight pasta, (elbow, macaroni, cellentani, or any other pasta)

CRISPY TOPPING:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
  • 2/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs

SAUCE:

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1/4 cup flour, all purpose or plain
  • 4 1/2 cups milk, divided (I used skim, but 2% or full fat are fine to use)
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch, or corn flour
  • salt and pepper, to season
  • 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder, or a vegetable stock powder
  • 3/4 cup low fat grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
  • 6 ounces low fat mozzarella cheese, sliced

Instructions

  • Boil pasta in salted water, according to packet instructions, until JUST al dente (do not over-boil)! Drain and rinse well with cold water. Set aside.
  • Preheat oven grill or broiler to 190°C | 375°F.

FOR CRISPY TOPPING:

  • Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large, oven proof pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the Panko breadcrumbs; stir to coat and cook until golden browned. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

FOR THE SAUCE:

  • Melt the 1/4 cup of butter in the same pan / skillet. Add the garlic and sauté until just fragrant (about 1 minute). Whisk in the flour; continue to cook while whisking (or stirring) for at least 2 minutes. Reduce heat down to low; gradually whisk in 4 cups of the milk (about 1/4 cup at a time), whisking between each addition to combine. Bring to a boil until beginning to thicken.
  • In a separate jug, combine the cornstarch and remaining 1/2 cup milk; whisk until lump free and stir through the white sauce to thicken completely. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the bouillon powder.
  • Remove from heat and add in the cheddar, 3/4 cup of parmesan cheese, and the mozzarella slices. Stir through until all of the cheese has melted. Toss the pasta through the sauce until completely coated.
  • Top with the Panko and the remaining parmesan cheese. Broil (or grill) in oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until bubbling.
  • Allow to cool down slightly before serving.

Notes

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 1, 2017

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Garlic Parmesan Mac And Cheese
Amount Per Serving
Calories 425 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 26%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Cholesterol 49mg 16%
Sodium 564mg 24%
Potassium 291mg 8%
Total Carbohydrates 46g 15%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 7g
Protein 20g 40%
Vitamin A 11.2%
Vitamin C 0.5%
Calcium 42.4%
Iron 6.4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Garlic Parmesan Mac And Cheese is better than the original! A creamy garlic parmesan cheese sauce coats your macaroni, topped with parmesan fried bread crumbs, while saving some calories! | https://cafedelites.com

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Laura- @funfoodbylaura says

    November 30, 2018 at

    THIS WAS LITERALLY ONE OF THE BEST RECIPES IVE EVER MADE. THE TOASTY TOP. THE CHEESE. MY GOODNESS I CANT STOP YELLING IT’S THAT GOOD.

    Reply

  2. jimmy says

    November 14, 2018 at

    can i prepare this dish earlier and bake it before the party starts?
    if so, can I stop after I’ve made the sauce? or stop just before I send it to the oven?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Karina says

      November 22, 2018 at

      Yes, that is a great idea! Either of those choices works great! You can make it all and then put it in the oven when needed. Thanks for choosing one of my recipes! Enjoy! XO

      Reply

  3. Julie says

    October 14, 2018 at

    What kind of Mozzarella do you use? Fresh, the harder kind you find shrink wrapped in the store or string Mozzarella? It sounds yummy and my son loves mac & cheese so I can’t wait to try it!

    Reply

    • Karina says

      October 16, 2018 at

      I used fresh mozzarella. Enjoy! It is a delicious, kid friendly mac and cheese! So much flavor!

      Reply

  5. Ellen says

    August 30, 2018 at

    Hi Katrina, This looks amazing (as you have heard before!) but I don’t use bouillon, too much salt. What can I use instead or can I just leave it out? Thanks.

    Reply

  6. Colleen says

    August 28, 2018 at

    Made this recipe and it was a huge hit with the family’s!! I am hosting a pasta dinner for our tennis team. How can I make the sauce gluten-free??

    Reply

  7. Jessika says

    July 23, 2018 at

    Came across this recently and made it for date night with my husband. We used lactose free milk and it was still so good and creamy! Best mac I’ve ever made and for sure a keeper! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  8. Kenza says

    June 20, 2018 at

    Thank you fot sharing this amazing recipe. I’ve tried this dish. My children helped me to cook. It was our first mac and cheese. We live in France. Waouhhh ! We loved it. It’s delicious and extra creamy. From now, this recipe belongs to our family best dishes !

    Reply

  9. Michael Meyer says

    May 11, 2018 at

    How do u prevent the cheese from clumping up. I just made this and the cheese seems to clumping together instead of blend with the noodles. Please help

    Reply

    • Karina says

      May 11, 2018 at

      I have found if I keep stirring and putting the cheese ingredients in slowly usually works and not over boiling the sauce. Hope that helps! I am sure it tasted so good for you! MMM! Sounds good now;)!

      Reply

  10. Jen Motz says

    December 4, 2017 at

    Anyone tried adding browned ground beef to this? Seems like it would be a great addition!

    Reply

  11. Ang B. says

    November 21, 2017 at

    Hi!! I want to make this for thanksgiving but do you think this will travel well? I was going to cook it on the stove on a skillet and then transfer it into an aluminum tray right before I bake it so I can take it to the dinner. Any recommendations or tips?

    Reply

  12. Cynthia says

    November 19, 2017 at

    Hello! I had a quick question, I made this dish last thanksgiving and it was a major hit with my family, so of course I’ve been tasked with making it again this year! I just for the life of me can’t remember if I used the chicken bouillon last year or forgot about it completely but I’m leaning more towards the latter. So I was wondering if it’s absolutely necessary for the recipe or if we can go with out it.

    Reply

  13. Mandy says

    November 16, 2017 at

    When it calls for grated Parmesan does that mean literally the grated that’s almost a powder in the tube or like shredded in the long pieces like the cheddar?

    Reply

  15. Sarah says

    September 17, 2017 at

    This was so good! Even if I forgot to add the mozzarella. My SO loved it, and requested this to now be our go to mac and cheese. ( he says add more garlic, so hey, I am cool with that too!)

    Reply

  16. Michelle says

    August 16, 2017 at

    Hi! I’m hoping to make this tomorrow for a birthday. Is there anything I can substitute for the cornstarch? if I don’t have any.

    Reply

  17. stecey says

    August 7, 2017 at

    Do you remove the garlic from the oil? Am I missing a step – I’m making this tonight. It looks amazing!

    Reply

  18. Sheryl says

    March 31, 2017 at

    I made this tonight and everyone loved it! I cooked bacon and asparagus and added it as well. Everyone went back for seconds.

    Reply

  19. Evelyn says

    February 22, 2017 at

    I can’t wait to make this!!! I do not own a Le Creuset shallow baking dish, so what size or capacity baking dish should I use?

    Reply

  23. Heather says

    January 31, 2017 at

    This looks beyond delicious! My husband and I always top with bread crumbs & crispy fried onions! Can’t wait to try it out!

    Reply

  25. colleen says

    January 18, 2017 at

    Made this over the weekend and we loved it. I even brought extras in for my co-workers and they were very pleased.

    Reply

  26. Izzie says

    December 31, 2016 at

    Um gained a new follower because of this recipe. Made it for xmas and it was super well received. GREAT flavor!

    Reply

  27. Jenn says

    December 30, 2016 at

    I see you say this serves 10, but how much is a serving? I saw someone else asked that question, and said the answer was at the end of the recipe, but I’m not seeing it.

    Reply

  30. Jerry says

    December 19, 2016 at

    How much pasta do you use for this? I’ve read and re-read the whole recipe and can’t find a quantity. Thanks!

    Reply

  32. Luna says

    December 6, 2016 at

    Chris, I couldn’t find bullion powder either, so I put 5 cubes in a sandwich bag and broke them up with the flat side f a tenderizer until it was a powder consistency, then measured it out with a tablespoon.

    My family and I absolutely LOVE this recipe by the way 😀

    Reply

  33. Andrea says

    November 25, 2016 at

    Hi, I am a vegetarian and would love to make this recipe but was wondering what you’d recommend in place of the chicken bouillon powder? Thanks so much!!

    Reply

  34. Chris says

    November 24, 2016 at

    Can you use chicken boulion cubes instead of power. If so how will I be able to incorporate that. Thank you

    Reply

  36. Callye says

    November 24, 2016 at

    Thank you for responding so quickly! I’m not a huge cook, so one more thing, do I put it in the freezer tonight or leave it in the fridge until I cook it tomorrow morning? Sorry for all the questions 🙂

    Reply

    • Karina says

      November 24, 2016 at

      No need to apologise! Store it in the fridge overnight, then tomorrow be sure to take it out for at least half an hour to an hour to bring it to room temp (or close to it) before baking in the oven! I hope that helps!

      Reply

  37. Callye says

    November 24, 2016 at

    I saw someone ask this, but couldn’t figure out if you answered or not… can I prepare this tonight and then tomorrow morning put it in the oven?

    Reply

  38. Savannah says

    November 24, 2016 at

    Hi Karina,

    I am making this dish for Thanksgiving tomorrow and would like to know if I can make it this evening and bake tomorrow?

    Reply

  39. Josephine says

    November 23, 2016 at

    Hi Karina, I was converting the grams to ounces for the pasta and it said 33 ounces is that correct? It seems like a lot of pasta.
    Thank you

    Reply

  40. Lindsay says

    November 20, 2016 at

    Hi! This looks amazing! For the cheddar, do you use white cheddar or regular yellow?? And mild or sharp??

    Reply

  43. Brittany says

    November 20, 2016 at

    Looks amazing! What kind of baking dish is that? I’d love to have one for when I make this recipe!

    Reply

  46. Jiha says

    November 18, 2016 at

    This looks absolutely delicious! Since I love ALL of your recipes I have tried, I’m going to make this for Thanksgiving 🙂

    Reply

  47. April. L says

    November 18, 2016 at

    I thought i had died and gone to Heaven!!!!
    I took the liberty of adding LOBSTER to this Mac & Cheese and that was the end of everything for me!!!
    My day was totally complete! Nothing left for me to do except realize that THIS MAC & Cheese with LOBSTER IS TOTALLY AMAZING!!! I died and was in Heaven!!! All the gooy yummy cheese wrapping all the lobster in a smooth creamy garlic cheesey sauce MMMMM!!! Ok gotta go, gotta go make more since talking about it has made me want more today!!! Lol
    The only sad part about this Mac & Cheese is if your sharing it THERES NEVER ANY LEFT OVERS!!!!!
    Thanks for this TERRIFIC recipe!!!
    You made my rough & busy day a comfort!!
    Keep up the great work with your recipes!!
    April. L
    London Ontario Canada.

    Reply

  50. Kim says

    October 30, 2016 at

    My girlfriend LOVES mac and cheese, and I’m a big fan of garlic parm anything! Definitely adding this to recipes to make this week. I can’t wait to try it, it looks super delicious!!

    Reply

    • Karina says

      October 28, 2016 at

      Yes absolutely! Keep refrigerated over night, and just before baking leave it out for about an hour at room temperature 🙂

      Reply

  52. Jessi says

    October 26, 2016 at

    I love Mac and cheese but I tend to find that after the baking process a lot of recipes lose flavor or aren’t as good. Because of that I usually skip the baking stage and just serve it right after mixing in the noodles. How does the flavor stand up after baking in this one?

    Reply

  53. Nadiya says

    October 18, 2016 at

    Hi Karina,
    This recipe looks amazing! Do you think it would work with brown rice pasta instead of normal pasta?

    Reply

  54. Juanita W. says

    October 13, 2016 at

    Can you make this dish in a pressure cooker ? Looks so yummy. Can’t wait to try !

    Reply

  56. Mary says

    October 10, 2016 at

    Never mind! I found the servings at the end of the recipe! Thanks! I may try today for dinner. I will post to let you know how it came out!

    Reply

  57. Mary says

    October 10, 2016 at

    How many servings does this make or how much is a serving. Couldn’t find it in the recipe. It looks delicious!

    Reply

  58. Martha says

    October 6, 2016 at

    I do not like Mozzarella that much. Only on pizza. Would this be Good with a Gruyer and cheddar mix?

    Reply

  59. M. Bickerman says

    October 3, 2016 at

    Just a note: From watching chefs on some cooking sites, they say that if you pour cold water over your cooked pasta you take away all the nutrients. So, I stopped doing that. You might want to google the benefits of just letting it cool.

    Reply

  60. debby says

    October 1, 2016 at

    is it possible to make thos ahead for a party as i wont have time to prepare sauce while party is going on.

    Reply

  61. Eileen says

    October 1, 2016 at

    Any recommendations on how to freeze and re-warm this at a later date? I’m making some freezer meals since I just had a baby, and would love to add this to the list!

    Reply

    • Karina says

      October 5, 2016 at

      Hi Eileen! First….Congratulations!
      You can freeze portions into freezer friendly plastic containers, thaw out the morning you need it and reheat in the microwave in 1-2 minute increments (stirring between each) until heated through 🙂

      Reply

  62. Tracy says

    September 28, 2016 at

    Just finished this for dinner tonight and it’s the most perfect mac and cheese! The amounts of garlic and cheese you have here are perfect. Just perfect! Even my son who hates mac and cheese now loves it! It wasn’t too heavy like other recipes we’ve had in the past. And I love that you don’t use heavy cream. WINNER WINNER!

    Reply

  63. Crissy says

    September 28, 2016 at

    I can’t believe there are people out there who hate macaroni and cheese. It is my absolute favorite food ever! This recipe looks amazing, can’t wait to try it soon.

    Reply

  65. Janie R says

    September 13, 2016 at

    Karina, if I might be so bold. Shelley, I would sub some of the veg stock for milk, and for at least the 1/2 cup milk, for the cornstarch, I’d use heavy cream…or light..that might make it somewhat creamy..just not as creamy as all milk…

    Reply

  68. Shelley says

    September 2, 2016 at

    This looks delicious! Question; I have tons of vegetable stock. How would I use that in this recipe instead of the powder?

    Reply

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